Combined baby tender and crib



(No Model.)

A. BAIRD. GOMBINED BABY TENDER AND CRIB.

No. 485,081. Patented Oct. 25, 1s92.

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ATTORNEYS" WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ARIETTE BAIRD, OF RIVERHEAD, NEYV YORK.

COMBINED BABY TENDER AND CRIB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,081, dated October 25, 1892.

Application filed March 15, 1892. Serial No. 424,977. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARIETTE BAIRD, residing at Riverhead, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Combined Baby Tender and Crib, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is designed to provide a neat, simple, practical, and sanitary device, which may be used alternately as a baby tender or crib, in which an infant or child of tender years may be placed and kept amused and out of danger and free from the necessity of the constant watchfulncss and care of its mother, or which device by slight adj ustment may be converted to the use of a crib, in which the child may be safely and comfortably placed while it sleeps. In my prior patent, granted me May 25, 1875, No. 163,625,I have aimed at and attained some of these results. My present invention is an improvement upon that construction; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Figure l is a perspective view of the device detached into its two parts for folding, and Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a side elevation and a transverse vertical section of the device as adjusted for use as a crib.

In the drawings, A A represent the two sides, and B B the two ends, of the combined baby tender and crib. These sides and ends are each made alike, except that the sides are longer. They consist simply of a rectangular frame at], a. a and vertical parallel slats or bars b, inserted in the horizontalmembers of the rectangular frame or otherwise attached to the same. Each side panel has rigidly attached to its ends the vertical corner-posts G C, which are rigidly fastened thereto. To one of these posts on each side panel is hinged at c c an end panel, and the other post of the same side panel has in its face two plates with keyhole-slots cl d, which are adapted to receive the hook-shaped fastenings e c on the edge of the adjacent end panel of the other half of the frame, said fastenings being in the nature of bedstead-fastenings, whose construction is well known,and in the place of which anysimilar detachable fastening may be employed. From this description it will be seen that the main frame has hinges at one pair of its diagonal corners and separable joints at the other pair of its diagonal corners, so that the main frame separates in two halves, consisting each of a side panel and an end panel, which are hinged together and adapted to fold fiat, the one against the other. By this construction it will be seen that the main frame may be folded perfectly flat and be very conveniently carried from room to room or up and down stairs even by a child. Furthermore, the method of constructing the panels of a rectangular marginal frame with only vertical parallel bars prevents the child from finding a foothold for climbing out, as would be afforded by horizontal bars or rails, as in my first patent.

In the bottom of the framework and distended and secured by eyelets at its edges engaging with hooks or buttons on the lower edge of the frame is a floor-covering F, sub stantially as shown in my prior patent. This may be in the nature of a carpet or rug for warmth, or it may be a gum-cloth to prevent the child from wetting the floor or soiling it with its food or drink or otherwise. This fioor'covering also serves the purpose of preventing the child from overturning the main frame, the childs weight being on this floorcloth, which thus holds the frame down, and said floor-cloth, being under some tension, also holds the separable halves of the main frame from coming apart,and thus exercises acoactive function with this detachable construction of frame.

E is the hammock, which is slung from the top rails of the main-frame panels by means of elastic straps f, which pass through loops g, attached to the hammock at a reinforced seam just below its upper edge. This seam is shown at s in Fig. 3, and the object of this means of attachment is to place the straps and fastening devices out of the reach of the child, and also to leave the upper edge of the hammock free from all metallic projections which might injure the child in its movements. The two ends of these elastic straps are each provided with fastening-loops h and 11, the one It a plain metal loop and the other i abent or hook-shaped metal loop that is hooked into the first outside the top bar of the panels, so as to embrace the same and form a point of attachment to support the hammock. These elastic straps with loops are arranged at short intervals along both the sides and ends and form a simple and easily-adjusted means of attachment. The hammock E itself is made of any sort of strong Woolen or cotton cloth and has semi-elliptical ends E, with a stiltening-bow m, of wire, Wood, or other material, distending the lower portion and sides of said ends, the said bow being incorporated in a seam of the material. This holds the hammock straight and prevents it from doubling up about the child and rendering it uncomfortable.

When used as a baby-tender, a cushion or seat may be placed inside the same, and when used as a crib a canopy of mosquito-netting may be arranged to cover the same to keep away flies and other insects.

At suitable points along the top rail are fastened screw eyes or loops for securing by a flexible cord or ribbon a teething-ring r, rattle, or other plaything for amusing the child.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combined baby tender and crib consisting of the two detachable and folding frame-sections A B and A B, the hammock consisting of the flexible bottom part E and flexible end sections E, the curved stiffeningbow m, arranged in the hem or seam between the bottom and end sections, and the straps f, with fastenings and loops g, connected to a seam s of the hammock on its outer side and below its upper edge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ARIETTE BAIRD.

Witnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMON, EDWD. W. BYRN. 

